大通方廣懺悔滅罪莊嚴成佛經 2.4

2.4

爾時。信相菩薩白佛言。世尊。云何名為三寶。一相耶。二相耶。三相耶。如其一相。即是一歸。如其三相。即是三歸。如其三歸。佛法別體。僧亦如是。若是三歸。眾生見三億劫行道。不會一乘。唯願世尊。利益眾生。為我說之。我聞是已。亦為眾生。分別解說。於佛滅後。若有聞者。即得住於。三菩提道。

At that time, the Bodhisattva *Śraddhāpratibhāna addressed the Buddha, saying: "Bhagavat, why are they called the Three Jewels? Do they have one characteristic, two characteristics, or three characteristics? If they have one characteristic, then that is one refuge. If they have three characteristics, then that is three refuges. If they are three refuges, the Buddha and the Dharma have separate substances, and the Saṅgha is likewise. If they are three refuges, sentient beings, perceiving three, will practice the path for a hundred million kalpas without converging upon the One Vehicle. I only pray that the Bhagavat, for the benefit of sentient beings, will explain this to me. When I have heard this, I will also analyze and explain it for sentient beings, so that after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if there are those who hear it, they will come to abide upon the path to [anuttarā samyak]sambodhi."